A genetic engineering drug, interferon, has been developed from protein isolated from human cells.
It is proving effective in the treatment of liver diseases hepatitis C and hepatitis B, multiple sclerosis, and life-threatening tumors.
It is in the early stages of study in the treatment of cancer with some promising results.
Until recently, it was the only treatment for hepatitis but now there is a new treatment approach involving combinations of interferon and ribavirin.
It is manufactured as Rebetron by Schering-Plough Corp. and is sold as a kit.
The interferon is sold as Intron A, the only type approved for use with ribavirin.
Other forms are increasingly available from different manufacturers.
Interferon alone eliminates hepatitis C in about 10-20 percent of patients, about 50 percent do not respond, while the remaining 30-40 percent respond and then relapse.
In the combination theory, after relapse the patient is given the ribavirin.
Studies show that after six months all signs of the virus were gone in 82 percent of those on the combination compared with half on interferon alone.
Interferon can cause serious side effects such as fever, lethargy, clogged saliva glands, chronic yeast infection, urinary tract infections, and depression.
The drug combination can cause breathing difficulty, sore throat, rashes, itching, nausea, insomnia, anemia, anorexia and occasionally birth defects.
Schering-Plough's treat kit costs about $1,831 for a six-week supply.
A six-month treatment costs $6,400 to $8,000.
Patients accuse Schering of "bundling" the products in order to compel them to use its interferon.
